Thursday January 17th, 2013 - 2:30 A.M.
Cortland Hospital I.C.U.
Samantha lay silent in her bed; her eyelids displaying a light show for only her entertainment, but she knew where she was. She remembered all too well how the brisk night air felt on her skin before being lifted up off the hard pavement, the trip in the ambulance. And how the rapid voices bounced back and forth beside her as she was rushed through the E.R. Before all that though, not a single thing could be remembered. At this particular moment however, a different set of voices took place in her head; immediately she placed them as the couple who've approached her before. The first of which, she could unmistakably recall, as Klyde's which sounded irritated, muttering to his partner. An edge of confidence had still been present in his voice, just like it was before.
"Dianne, darlin', do not belittle me okay? I know she's in a fragile state, but the girl deserves to know why we're here. We can't just keep occupying her like this; she needs to know." A bit of silence followed his words; she wanted more than anything to know what they were talking about. The curiosity of it all burned straight through her as the silence lingered on. "Deserves to know what?" Unable to hold herself back, she waited, praying someone would reply. Whenever Klyde would speak, pride and power would well up inside her. As if he picked up on her drive, the man chuckled a bit, though his laughter cut hard into her psyche.
It felt like he was a surgeon, just slicing away all that she knew; her heart started to break piece by piece. "You may want to hold off on laughing, honey. I can feel a certain melancholy lingering here; she needs us to help, not harm." Dianne's words swooped right in and picked her up off the floor, but barely so. Nowadays remaining gleeful became more of a chore for her than anything else. Sighing escaped the man who she came to admire, following his wife's words. "Yeah; Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely correct here; I'm sorry, girl. Please, I meant not to harm you, but show that I was proud. Yes, I laughed a bit, but not from your dilemma; more so, it was because of your courage. You have so much to offer this world and you remind me so much of myself. That's why…" His voice died away, leaving her in that bitter abysmal silence, with only her thoughts to occupy her time. Coincidentally, whatever entered her brain, she would no longer be able to hold onto just for her own use, and she knew that.
It still didn't stop horrible ideas or phrases from forming in her brain. They happened more often, now that these two moved in. Something began grasping her leg, it wasn't too tight but enough to draw her out of her head. Her eyelids felt so heavy; she struggled to lift them, but when she was able to, everything before her looked distorted. The majority of the room around her had been taken up by a sheet drawn around the bed. Beeping sounded to her left and on her right, resting in a chair was Layla, who had been grasping her thigh.
"Layla? How long have you been here?" the question slithered out of her in a whisper. Watching her friend laying there, looking like a kid all tuckered out from a long day of playing; it warmed everything inside. Layla's hair had a springy feeling to it as her fingers ran through every strand of the sand colored terrain. "You must have been so tired. Thank you for being with me." The girl just sighed in her sleep; Samantha felt that warming sensation rushing over again. She let the rhythm of her heart monitor soothe her, as a powerful urge to sleep took hold. In her head, the two new occupants were mumbling to each other, then everything around her went silent.
* * * *
Atlantic city, New Jersey 7:00 A.M.
For a while, Samantha felt her hair whipping around as she flew through the air. Thin white clouds floated just a couple of inches below her; an insatiable urge to penetrate them arose. Cool curtains of hydration washed over her, behaving like a veil as she pierced through them. A vast city stretched as far as she could see, starting with the thick of it all, bordering the edge of a beach and trailing off to a more suburban area off in the distance. The famous pier that she heard so much about, from her parents, sat off to her right. It wasn't until she noticed this, that she saw how close the ground was. Time drew on; the buildings became more and more defined with each second of her descent; foreboding. It only grew in volume the smaller the distance between her and the city became.
"Do not worry, honey. All of this is in your head and we will not let harm come to you." "You sound so close by… Where are you?" Samantha jerked her head this way and that. The woman sounded so close, but was nowhere to be found. The ground was only feet away now; she clenched her eyes shut; her heart nearly leapt from her chest. When she thought the sureness of death was upon her, her feet touched down. Warm sand ran between her toes. She felt the ocean washing around her ankles, embracing her like a mother holds her child. "Honey, you can open your eyes now. I assure you that you're safe and sound."
"I want to believe you, but…" Klyde cleared his throat, interrupting her. It startled her, forcing her eyes open. There he was, somewhat in the flesh as he peered down at her. His hair rested above his shoulders, mimicking the color of black coffee. A goatee rested on his large chin, attached underneath, to a long crooked nose. His medium sized ears only added to his nearly perfect, long face and jaw line. There was something about the pair of dark, chocolate colored eyes; they pierced her soul. Across his forehead was a thin, yet long scar; it only added to his already immaculate appearance.
She felt so giddy; her cheeks burned from the nervousness. At that moment all he had on was a pair of blue jeans and a tight, long sleeved shirt. She wanted to pinch herself, but fought the urge, fore she knew this was a dream. The sun was already shining down onto him, bronzing his already tanned skin. Her heart was beating hard, nearly in her throat. "Damn, girl! Keep those eyes in your head why don't ya?" "Oh come off it honey! You know what you're doing to the poor child, making her all flustered."
Dianne sounded off, just barely to her right. "I have to see you… Oh my GOD!" Samantha felt her jaw drop the instant that the calm voiced woman appeared. Her hair draped past her shoulders, all bushy and dark brown. She had pure light blue eyes; Samantha's knees felt so weak. The woman's lips were an average thickness, tinted dark red, spread into a perfect bright smile. Her bangs were propped just enough across her forehead, to give her a super model-like appearance. The red of her lips went so well with the milky whiteness of her skin. Samantha looked down to her, only a little, as the woman was a couple inches shorter.
Dianne's clothes were setting flames of passion throughout Samantha's veins. She wanted nothing more than to jump that woman right then and there. Set, tight against the woman's skin, was a dark blue dress, which showcased her semi-perfect hourglass figure. "Jesus, honey. You may wanna hold your jaw up before it hit's the ground." "My god… You two; you're…" She kept looking at that perfect woman and then back to her husband. It became harder and harder for her to stop staring; the two of them broke out into laughter.
"Hey you know… It's not all that often that we get looked at like that, girl." She watched him shaking his head all the while, which Dianne copied. "Is there a reason I'm here?" "Yes; Yes, there is honey. Come with us, we have to show you something." She felt weird as their warm hands met her wrists. They both took off of the ground as they headed back towards the sky. They flew so elegantly; their clothes rippling in the wind as the city flew right on by.
It dwindled down to a culdasack area, with a number of houses going on and on for some time. Though Samantha was unable to make anything out, the couple that guided her began to drop. Her feet met the warm asphalt of a turnaround area, seconds later. It rested just at the very end of a long street, with three houses surrounding the border. The one directly in front of them; a two story, light blue home with a screened in porch was already freaking her out. Something about the way it looked seemed odd to her. Whether it was the numerous amounts of chipped paint, the torn screen or the rusted padlocked entrance to the basement on the left; she didn't know what irked her so much.
"What're we doing here?" she couldn't get the disturbing feeling of dread to leave her. An evil presence seemingly dumped off of that structure, threatening to take over any and all who dared enter its dying innerds. Had the home itself not jarred her attention, all of the dead grass and various glass shards strewn carelessly across the lawn picked up the slack. "Honey, do not be afraid of this building. You see, this; this used to be our home." Home. H-How is this a fucking home?! Samantha couldn't shake the grin Dianne kept giving her. Her adrenaline was picking up with each passing minute and it only seemed to get worse.
Klyde had already left the two of them and was yanking on the old chains. "I heard your question, and believe me, this place looked so much better back…" Dianne trailed off. Samantha's legs were shaking; a high ran through her; her brain was lightheaded. She wanted nothing more than to wake up in the hospital room; to be back in the harsh reality that was her life now, but she couldn't.
Even the deep pinching sensations she caused wouldn't wake her up. "It's gonna be okay, I promise." It was Dianne's voice that kept her rooted; that, and her interest in what Klyde was trying so desperately to unearth. There was one last grunt escaping the man; he kept pulling with all his might until the chains snapped completely in two. With a mere wave of his hands, the doors flew open. Puffs of dirt and dust billowed from the entrance. "That right there? Th-That is some scary, straight out of horror movie shit!" Samantha nearly lost her footing stepping off of the sidewalk; her heart skipped, but Dianne caught her.
She didn't know what was worse. The non chalant way that Klyde gazed at her, or the way the paralyzing timidity coursing through her seemed to originate from Dianne's grasp. "You guys are really starting to freak me out," she said, trying hard to maintain her confidence. Klyde just waved them forward; Dianne pulled, but she fought it. "Please, just hear us out. If you don't like what we've got to say within the first five minutes, then we will leave you alone for now, okay?" She saw the innocence in that woman's eyes. The way she'd smile, rubbing her arm to try and calm her back down; it worked.
The entrance got nearer; an insatiable urge to sprint as fast as Samantha could muster; that's where her mind was. Klyde entered the basement. Dianne followed suit, and beckoned her forward. Even in the darkness below, her complexion was able to beat it. Had it not been for that familiar smile the woman gave her, she knew she'd be unable to muster the courage to follow.
"Watch your step, honey." The woman held firmly onto her arm, making sure she didn't slip. A cool, tile substance met her feet. Why is this here? Wouldn't a basement normally have concrete? Or at least dirt? I've never heard of a tiled flooring for this part of a house. Samantha thought hard to herself, teeling her way around the room. Her fingertips ran across more cool tiles. "What the fuck is going on in here?" Something clicked diagonally from her. Dianne had already let go of her arm, disappearing into the darkness with her husband. "This damn light hasn't been changed in so long… Darlin', do you remember where we kept the bulbs?"
Samantha's eyes strained against the shadows. The atmosphere was unbelievably hellish in this room, despite her not being able to see anything at the moment. "Here you are." "Thank you." Klyde muttered back, "What're you guys doing?" No matter how hard she looked, with a massive headache forming from all the straining, Samantha couldn't make out anything in front of her. That same clicking noise sounded; the light flashed on in an instant. Samantha's couldn't stop herself; her mouth was agape already as the loudest silent scream escaped. Two tables sat in the direct center, with entrails lining the tops of them.
Multiple bits and pieces of random meat sat on top of a drain. Dried blood stained the floors and walls. The light swayed all over, casting shadows amongst the couple's faces. Off to the left was a wall dedicated to various tools and instruments, including hacksaws, hammers, drills, blades, scalpels, and an electric saw; all of which had blood dried onto their edges.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?!" She tripped on the bottom step. Dianne began walking towards her; Samantha saw the concern on her face. The woman's hands had the same red stains on them, except this time, they were fresh. "Please calm down, honey. You…" "GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME! GET AWAY!" Samantha's throat screamed at her; she didn't care. She tried to pull herself up the stairs, but the sheer terror of this discovery paralyzed her. "PLEASE STAY AWAY! L-LET ME GOOOO!" Klyde had already made his way back over to her as well. He looked even worse, with his shirt being drenched in the crimson liquid.
"You have to calm down, if you wish for us to speak with you." "HOW THE FUCK CAN YOU BE CALM?! Please… P… Please let me wake uuuup." She forced herself to curl up into a ball, burying her face behind her arms and legs. A warm wetness caressed her legs and a firm grasp touched her shoulder. For a split second, she thought she was going to die. Her heart seemed to stop beating for what felt like eternity until a wave of cold sweat jolted her back. "STOOOPPPPP! WHY CAN'T I WAKE UP?!" She kept wailing into her legs, praying to God that he'd kill her.
Dianne spoke up, still as calm as ever, but not towards her. Instead, she was conversing with her husband, who instantly let go. Once both of them stopped touching her, Samantha's dismay melted off of her like a hot candle. Her eyes were open, but only the material of her pants could be seen, as she still cradled her head. The sensation of wind blew by her once more; she finally gazed back upward, realizing that she was being hoisted up away from the house itself.
Above her the sun was shining even brighter than before; it shed everything away as if this horrible nightmare was being erased. Am I truly leaving? Please God tell me I'm getting out of there! The voice in her head had been yelling with thoughts of freedom. Why did they show me that? What the fuck was wrong with those two?! "Sammie? Darlin', are you there?" A warm set of hands were wiping the hair from her face as another came into view. That accent; the hair; the smooth skinned fingers. "Layla?" "I'm here, hun'," she replied happily. "You had me worried, Sam. You were screamin' your head off n' everything!"
Just seeing that girl pour over her; the sandy hair vaguely touching her face; it helped. "What were you dreamin' about anyways? It must've been pretty horrid for ya' to be yellin' like you were. Are you alright now?" Samantha couldn't answer too well; her throat was hoarse. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." she heard herself repeating this phrase, turning her attention from Layla to the now open curtain. Like the blinding lights that welcomed her back to the living, the sun shined off the buildings below. She thought she was okay now, safe even.
But that wasn't the case. Something cold was grasping her shoulder which was closest to her friend. Please let it be her. Please let this end. "I apologize for what went on back there. You have to understand we did not mean for that to happen; not the way that it did." Klyde spoke; he was standing beside Layla, who was still asleep. Everything she had rampaging her brain from before came back in a giant wave. The nightmare just seemed to be going on, as if the moment she just had with Layla never existed.
"We hope you can forgive us." Dianne chimed in; she appeared at the end of the bed, looking down at the sheets. "Damn it…" The covers slid up over her mouth, with her fist clenching tightly onto them. Her body was shaking; she couldn't end it at all. "Why does this have to continue? Can't you just leave me alone?" She needed to see the two of them, hoping beyond anything that this was the true ending of her dream. They were both shaking their heads towards the floor and then vanished into thin air. All of this was too overwhelming for her. Her mind became so fragile before this point and only became more brittle after everything that transpired. Her psyche was snapping and she could almost feel her brain ripping in two.